ESCANABA — Escanaba will not move forward with a plan to add a nature trail to Ludington Park after multiple people questioned the project and the involvement of Council Member Karen Moore.

Moore had previously brought the project to the council as the president of the non-profit Enhance Escanaba in early April. She sought then and Thursday for the city to enter into an agreement for the project and commit to a $10,000 match for a $25,000 grant from America in Bloom, a beautification organization with ties to Canadian National Railroad that supports projects in cities with CN railroads passing through them. However, the council was hesitant in April to approve the project, citing a number of concerns about maintenance of the path, the fact there were no drawings of the project provided to the council, and the fact the city’s recreation board had not approved the proposal.

Despite Moore repeatedly claiming the path did not need the approval of the recreation board or the council because the concept of a nature trail had been previously approved in the city’s five-year recreation plan, the board voted in April to postpone a vote on the issue until Thursday, allowing the recreation board to meet and vote whether to move forward with the path.

“I guess, being a council member, can I ask if there would be an affirmative vote contingent on the rec board approving my plan?” Moore has asked the rest of the council April, only to be told repeatedly by Mayor Mark Ammel that it was impossible to give a predetermined outcome for a future vote.

The recreation advisory board, however, did not approve the project. At the recreation board’s meeting that took place between the two council meetings, two recreation board members voted in favor of the path, one voted against it, and a fourth abstained. Since abstentions are counted the same as “no” votes, there was not enough support to send the proposal to the city council.

That didn’t stop a discussion of the project from taking place at the council level, both in public comment and during the meeting itself. Much of that discussion was about Moore’s involvement.

“My question to Miss Moore: when you go to sit down with our city manager, public works director, parks supervisor, DDA director, recreation harbor director, wastewater superintendent, which hat are you wearing? Council member hat or president of your nonprofit, Enhance Escanaba, hat? I personally think you are coming very close to an abuse of power. You do know that you are directly the boss of all those I mentioned?” said Escanaba resident Ann Fix, who noted in her statements that the recreation advisory board had not approved submitting the grant to America in Bloom.

Fix’s concerns were echoed by other speakers.

“In plain terms, we have a member of the council who is who’s negotiating a contract between a business entity in which the member has a personal interest. Sound like a problem? I think it is,” said resident Tyler Anthony, who noted Moore may be running afoul of the state’s ethics laws and that the city’s charter prohibited members of council from “becoming personally interested in any contract with the city or expenditures of any money on the part of such city.”

Moore’s involvement was also questioned by Micheal Segorski, treasurer of the Delta Conservation District, which had previously committed $5,000 of in-kind work to develop a map used by Moore — a commitment made by a former employee.

“I’m not sure if that’s money will spent,” he said.

Moore and the project itself were not without support. Multiple members of Enhance Escanaba attended the meeting to speak out in support of the project, as did one member of the local non-motorized trail group who was asked to attend by Moore. Some of these individuals carried letters of support for the project with them and argued that the project would be a boon for the city and local tourism.

“Karen has spent many hours collaborating with the parks superintendent and public works to ensure that its design has ease of mowing, proper plant placement and proper suggested trail placement. The goal is to encourage people to be able to walk on a constructed path closer to the water front, which will encourage knowledge, and in the future will encourage picnicking, fishing and wildlife conservation,” Enhance Escanaba Board Member Jean Arvan read from a prepared statement.

Despite declaring a conflict of interest early in the meeting, Moore repeatedly attempted to participate in the discussion and was challenged by members of the audience for doing so. She argued that it was only the vote she was required to abstain from, but refrained from speaking further after audience members responded that she had to also abstain from discussion.

The remaining council members discussed some of the specific aspects of the project and their hesitancy to move forward. DuBord specifically repeated statements he had made in April that the grant should be used to enhance the existing walking path in the park but that building a new path didn’t make sense to him.

“I just can’t find in me a reason to put a new path in. Like I said, I’m willing to do middle ground with you, I am, but this one I’m not willing to put in a new trail for,” he said.

When it came time for a vote, none of the council members put forward a motion. Without a motion, the issue died on the floor.